Family-made vacation home

Six designers—all related—create the ultimate labor of love: their shared vacation home on Washington’s Whidbey Island

Designing for family

Some extended families manage to get together only once a year. For the Robertsons, family reunions happen every other month, and the entire crew—parents Don and Suzy plus their sons Nick and Chad, daughters-in-law Isabelle and Emily, and two young granddaughters—always decamp to the same place: the waterfront cabin they designed and built together.

In a family of designers, it’s only natural that they were hands-on with the construction of the home, located on Whidbey Island, about 25 miles from Seattle. Still, the project took a lot of sweat equity and compromise to create. “Initially, there were two sets of plans,” says Nick, who’s quickly corrected by Chad: “There were more than two sets of plans,” he says, smiling. “But everyone wanted the same thing: locally sourced materials, a big main room, lots of windows, a green roof, solutions that would last.”

Investing in an heirloom

Every inch of the 1,200-square-foot home is Robertson made. Don, a master electrician, handled the electrical and plumbing systems, while Suzy led the decorating. Nick and Isabelle, who run architecture and design studio Piano Nobile, gave input on the structure and provided textiles. Chad and Emily, owners of furniture studio Chadhaus, crafted many of the furnishings. As a result, the cabin isn’t just an escape but an heirloom. “This is something we want in our family for a long time,” says Chad.

Incorporate flexibility

“We wanted the main space to be one big room where we could all be comfortable at once,” says Don. “We used lots of white so we could add and switch out color in furnishings and accessories over time,” says Suzy. “We also kept it simple because we couldn’t decide on a paint color.”

Decorate democratically

Everyone contributed to the look of the interiors. Chad and Emily designed the dining table and kitchen furnishings. Isabelle’s textiles are sprinkled throughout. Exposed trusses, painted white, are Nick’s handiwork, and the half-mirrored lightbulbs hung from the ceiling were Don’s idea. Suzy was the lead stylist. “Suzy won’t admit it, but she’s the secret artist here,” says Isabelle. “It’s her ideas—the colorful ceramics, the mix of textiles, her beachy vintage touches—that bring together the spirit of the cabin.”

Have an open-door policy

The front deck was designed as an extension of the common area. “Even if you’re outside on the deck, you’re adjacent to everything else,” Emily says. Dogs and kids are always running in and out, often dodging Don as he returns from clamming.

Lose the boundaries

Because the family tends to gather in the kitchen, they placed the island just steps from the living area so the conversation wouldn’t stop for whoever’s cooking.

Ditch (most) cupboards

The kitchen features open shelving, so dishware serves as art. “You don’t end up having a lot of stuff just hidden away,” says Chad. “All the things you use on a daily basis are right there. And with so many of us running around, nothing can be too precious.”

Create a do-it-all island

The family didn’t finalize the island’s size (40 by 60 inches) until the drywall was in. “We could then stand in the space and imagine the best setup,” Chad says. The cobalt blue legs make the island feel like less of a workhorse and help it blend in with the common area.

Use local materials

Like the majority of the cabin, the kitchen gives a nod to its locale. The cabinets are made from alder wood cut from aged trees on the property, dried for 18 months, and milled on-site. Suzy lent her skills as a hobby ceramist to create a subtle beachy backsplash.

Treat cabinets as furniture

Since the kitchen is part of the common area, the family chose to use the base cabinets as a credenza, leaving off the traditional doors in favor of additional open shelving.

Consider the landscape

With ​a view like the one out the Robertsons’ wall of windows, there’s no need for eye-catching color indoors. Instead, Suzy used coastal-inspired blues and greens with a few strong pops; the creamy tones complement the white walls and the alder flooring and furniture. Suzy also chose a “whitish mint” paint to unify mismatched dining chairs.

Update with paint

The family used the same deft touch with color in the cabin’s two small bedrooms. The bed frame has been in the family since Don and Suzy married 43 years ago. “It’s been yellow, blue, red,” says Suzy. This iteration—a bright grass green—complements the cherry red stool by Chadhaus and the washed-out colors of the pillows (designed by Isabelle).

Keep it light

Blond wood, white walls, and a host of creamy hues give this house its Finnish flat meets Northwest beach cabin vibe. The paint palette consists of the following (clockwise from top center):